Vending apparatus



Jan. 18, 1949. L. T. NEWMAN VENDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 14, 1947 X; ML,

Jan. 18, 1949- L. T. NEWMAN VENDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 14, 1947 zyvzfiroK fl/l5 Z NEWMAN Patented Jan. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 v r 2,459,715

VENDING APPARATUS Lewis IT. Newman, Memphis, Tenn. Application July 14, 1947, Serial No. 760,849

7 Claims. (o1. 312-48) This invention relates to vending apparatus in which a plurality of articles are supported in superposed relation in a column for successive release and has particular reference to supporting means which is adapted to smoothly and evenly control the lowering of the articles and efiect their successive release.

The primary object of the invention is to support a column of articles in such manner that the weight of the articles tends to effect their discharge and to so retard the movement of a supporting element adapted to lower the articles and effect their release singly, that the articles will be smoothly lowered and the element stopped after each release, substantially without shock. A further object is to provide such a mechanism, in which the resistance of the supporting element decreases in proportion to the decrease in weight of the supported cloumn.

A further object is to provide a gravity actuated supporting and discharging mechanism for a column of articles, which retards the lowering of the articles and which progressively decreases in resistance in proportion to the decrease in the number of articles within the column. q

A further object is to provide latching means for an element adapted to support a column of articles, which latching means is normally. releasable to allow lowering movement and discharge 'of the articles successively, in which discharge movement of said element reestablishes engagemerit of said latching means during said discharge and prevents discharge of more than a single article for each latch release.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification on reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation view of a fragmentary portion of a vending machine in accordance with my invention, taken on the stepped line I-I of Fig. 5.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan taken on the line II--II of Fig. 4, showing a fragmentary portion of the supporting and lowering element and means for braking the turning movement of this element.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line Ill-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line I V--IV of Fig. 1, showing a delivery column with a rotary supporting and delivery element there below and an auxiliary magazine feeding into the delivery column,

, v 2 I Fig. is a corresponding elevation taken as on the stepped line VV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation taken as on the line VI--VI of Fig. 1, showing a delivery column with a rotary delivery element there below and a storage magazine adjacentthe cle livery column.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the line VII--VII of Fig. 5, showing a fragmentary portion of the delivery element and its retarding mechanism therefor.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, ID are fragmentary portions of the walls of a case,within which the apparatus may be enclosed. The case has an access door l2, and a delivery opening l4 throughwhich the articles it are discharged. Where the articles, as bottles of beverages are to be cooled, suitable cooling means may be proe vided, but such means forming no part of the present invention per se, is not. here shown.

The articles l6 are carried in a vertically disposed. magazine, and confined betweenvertically disposed sidemembers l8- and in a single column in which the articles are superposed as in Fig. 6 or may be confined as in Figs. 4 and 5, in a double column by side members wand 22 with the articles superposed in one column and in the other separated by inclined shelves 24 feeding into the superposed article column as thatcolumn recedesin dispensing progressively,. below the shelves 24; In either from the magazine has an open side, facing away from the wall towhich it is adjacent and is refilled. through this. side when the access door I2 is, open. 1

Disposed below the columns .of superposed bot-.- tles is a rotary element having. blades 26 which radiate from a central shaft 28. The'shaft 28 is journalled in bearings 30 and 32, and projects beyond the latter bearing, the projecting end 28A being threaded, and extending'toward the open-r ing for the door 12 through which opening when the door is openit, is readily accessible. Integrally secured as by welding to the. shaft 28.and blades 26 is a disc 34. A complementary .disc 36 is similarly secured to .the bearing 32. A disc 38 of brake lining or like material is preferably disposed betweenv thediscs 34 and 36 and may be secured, to one or the other thereof should it be vso desired. A compression spring 40 isdis' posed on the threaded end 28A of the shaft and against the bearing, 32, the spring, being..:compressed against the, bearing by a nut 42. a The-nut-AZ has-a laterally extending arm 42A provided atiits outerend with a-blade M which tion by a complementary lock nut 56. The pitch of the shaft threads is so established with relation to the weight of the articles and the tension-=01"- the spring that the turn of the shaft necessary to release an article and corresponding reduction of the weight of the column odl articlessupported by the blades effect a corresponding reduction ,in,

the frictional resistance of the discs and brake lining to the turning movement of the blades,

The rotary element and its blades 26 A are releasably held against turning by a latch 58 which engages the blades successively, the latch including a'bell-crank' arm portion 60 which is swung into the path ofthe released blade as the latch releases the blade, and must again restore the latch to position for engagement bythenext blade in succession, before'the released blade can complete its movement.

Thelatch 58' is manually released in any desired manner as by closure ofan electric circuit to a solenoid 62 which is coupled through linkage 54 to the latch."

Where the machine is used for vending bottled beverages which should be cold when dispensed, a storage rack ofequal capacity with the magazine is preferably also provided, in order that on exhaustionof themagazine it maybe refilled with cold bottles and no waiting period be necessary before dispensing can be resumed. Thestorage rack '65 for these additional bottles'or other articles '68, maybe carried asin Fig. 1 by the access door l'2, or a storage rack maybe formed by the side members-20 and additional side members 10 as in Fig. *6. Preferablyboth types of the storagerack are open on the'side facing away from the door or wall, both for filling, and 'for the removal of the articles to replace those discharged from the magazine, which likewise is open on the. side away from the wall? for refilling. All are soconstructed and 'mountedthat they are accessible when the access door I! is opened."

Inuuse the rotary element is latched by engagement'of the latch arm 58 with abla'de 26 of the element and the articles 1 B are successively stacked, through the open side of the magazine,

in superposed relation supported by the latched element The blade 44 of the nut arm 42A is disengaged from the :forked arm 48 and the nut tightened against the spring 40 until cooperative action of the brake members 34, 36 supports the superposed column of articles l6 with the latch released. vThe-nutis then backed off easing the brake tension until the element turns slowly under the weight. of the column and allows the column to descend at desired'speed, after which the, nut is latched against turning by reengagementrof the blade'44 withthe forked arm 48; When-the proper nut positioning is determined the; stop sleeve 54' is setup loosely against the nut andthe lock nut 56 clamped against the sleeve. If the sleeve and nut are rendered inaccessible'by the spring the-nut maybe removed, counting thev turns necessary for removal, the spring :is removedgthe rnut replaced with the the path of the released blade 26 which cannot complete its movement until the latch arm is shifted back into position to engage and stop the a next blade.

As dispensing proceeds, the weight of the column of articles decreases. Concurrently the shaft 28 unscrews from the nut 42 shifting the nut outward along the shaft, lessening the compression of the spring 40 ahdreducing the braking resistance in conformity to such weight decrease, and accomplishing substantially uniform low ri'ng speed of the columns. v After the magazine is emptied, or at anytime prior to emptying, the magazine may be reflll'ed and the original braking conditions be restorediby unlatching the nut 42 and tighteningit against the compression spring 40 untilsu'ch'ftightening is stopped by the stop sleeve 54, an'dfthen' "relatching the nut. If a storage'rac'k is'fpr the magazine is preferably filled from f and the rack subsequently filled. v.

It will be understood that thedecal f' he parts may be varied from without departingffrom my invention, particularly the detailsofth'e latch and the operating'm'eans therefonand o'ffthe means which prevents turning of the nut, which as shown provides for latching after ea full turn, but which by the addition of 'more'ajrms 42A and blades 44, or otherwise, might be'h el d' nadditional positions. ,f': It will further 'be'understood' that whilethe drawings show and specification dscribejs a single magazine and release therefor,an'y number of such magazines and related releases may be associatedand if desired housed in a single cas; mg

Iclaim: I .s- '1. In a vending machine which includes amag; azine for holding a column of superposedarticles, a rotary. element journalled below said magazine, and releasable means for latching said element against rotation, said element including-blades shiftable by rotation of .said elementinto article supporting relation beneath saidcolumn, means for frictionally resisting, turning movement-of said element, and means responsive to said turning movement for; progressively reducing;;. said frictional resistance. 4'

2. In a vending machine :which includesa magazine :for holding a column of superposed articles, a rotary element disposed below said magazine, and n ieans journalling said element, and releasable means for latching said: element against rotation; said element-including: blades turnable-by rotation of said element successively into article supporting relation beneathsaid 'column; means tor frictionally resisting turning movement of said element, including cooperative braking members respectively secured to' said ele movement for progressively reducing said frictional resistance.

3. In a vending machine, which includes a magazine for holding a column of superposed articles, a rotary element disposed below said magazine, means journalling said element, and means releasably latching said element against rotation; said element including blades shiftable by rotation of said element into article supporting relation beneath said column; means for frictionally resisting turning movement of said element, including cooperative braking members respectively carried by said element and said journalling means, a brake lining interposed between said members, a compression spring urging said braking members into braking contact, means for adjusting the tension of said spring and responsive to said turning movement for progressively reducing said frictional resistance.

4. In a vending machine, which includes a magazine for holding a column of superposed articles, a rotary element including a shaft and blades, disposed below said magazine, and supporting said column, bearings journalling said shaft and releasable means for latching said element against rotation; braking members respectively carried by said element and one of said bearings, cooperating to resist turning movement of said element under the weight of said column, said shaft extending beyond said bearing and said braking members carried thereby and said extension being threaded, a compression spring and a nut disposed on said extension, said nut compressing said spring against said bearing and holding said braking members in braking contact resisting rotation of said element under column weight, means holding said nut against turning during rotation of said shaft, said shaft threading being pitched to unwind from said nut and relieve compression of said spring.

5. A vending machine assembly in accordance with claim 4, in which an adjustable stop is mounted on said shaft inward of said nut to limit compressive movement of said nut against said spring.

6. In a vending machine which includes a magazine for holding a plurality of articles for successive gravity discharge, a rotary element journalled adjacent the discharge end of said magazine, and releasable means for latching said element against rotation, said element including blades shiftable by rotation 0t said element into restraining relation with respect to said articles, means for frictionally resisting turning move: ment of said element, and means responsive to said turning movement for progressively reducing said frictional resistance.

'7. In a vending machine which includes a magazine for holding a plurality of articles for successive gravity discharge, a rotary element journalled adjacent the discharge end of said magazine, and releasable means for latching said element against rotation, said element including blades shiftable by rotation of said element into restraining engagement with said articles, means for frictionally resisting turning movement of said element, means for adjusting said frictional resistance, and means responsive to said turning movement for progressively reducing said frictional resistance.

LEWIS T. NEWMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the' file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

